Should you train every set to failure if your goal is building muscle?

In this episode, I break down what training to failure actually means, the difference between technical failure and muscular failure, and why knowing the distinction can dramatically improve your results while reducing your risk of injury. I explain how movement quality, stability, exercise selection, and skill level should determine how close you train to failure—not simply pushing until you can't complete another rep.

I also discuss why feeling a muscle working doesn't always mean you're training it effectively, how compensations limit muscle growth, when it's appropriate to take an exercise to true failure, why filming your lifts is one of the best coaching tools available, and the biggest indicators I use to assess whether a set is productive.

If you're trying to build muscle, improve exercise execution, master reps in reserve (RIR), understand RPE, or make better training decisions for long-term progress, this episode will help you train harder—and smarter.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:42] - Introduction & Why Training to Failure Is Often Misunderstood

- [02:42 – 05:59] - What Training to Failure Actually Means (RIR vs. RPE)

- [05:59 – 10:28] - Technical Failure vs. Muscular Failure Explained

- [10:28 – 12:09] - Why Muscle Burn Doesn't Mean You're Training the Target Muscle

- [12:09 – 14:53] - Breaking Through Rear Delt Plateaus by Improving Stability

- [14:53 – 19:16] - Safety Considerations When Training Close to Failure

- [19:16 – 23:07] - When to Push Hard Based on Exercise Selection & Workout Order

- [23:07 – 30:44] - The Rep Speed Cue I Use to Gauge True Training Intensity

- [30:44 – 34:13] - Why Recording Your Warm-Up Sets Improves Technique

- [34:13 – 37:00] - High-Skill Exercises: Don't Push Past Technical Failure

- [37:00 – 40:52] - Building Better Technique, Confidence & Long-Term Progress

Links & Resources:

Purchase The Complete Fat Loss Guide: https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-fat-loss-guide/

Purchase The Glute Building Blueprint: https://coryfit.com/product/the-complete-glute-building-program/

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